YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous: I Was Detained in Dubai for Being Trans (Video)
Calling the five-hour ordeal “one of the scariest moments of my life,” Gorgeous told fans her story through Instagram.
www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/8/10/youtuber-gigi-gorgeous-i-was-detained-dubai-being-trans-video
Cheers To All Exus – Cheers To Ze' Pelintra – Laroye
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BBC Forced To Apologize For On-Air Homophobic Joke During Olympics Coverage
Paul Hand. Photo via Twitter.
Ah, the kiss cam. That cute, time tested stunt seen at sporting events around the world to keep people entertained during slow moments between the action.
Related: Hockey Fan Gets Surprised Smooch From Man Seated Behind Him
It’s a lot less cute when you add homophobia into the mix, as TV presenter Paul Hand did while commentating on the women’s tennis singles quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
“Let’s hope they don’t go on to two blokes sat next to each other,” Hand said, after encouraging straight couples to kiss.
Related: Nike Drops Ad Championing Transgender Athlete During Olympics
The BBC has issued an apology, saying, “The comment was ill-judged and we apologise to any of our viewers who were offended.”
And indeed, many were:
Dear @BBCSport, homophobic and Russophobic comments by Paul Hand are hurtful and mean.
— Marta (@MStolzova) August 9, 2016
Disgusting homophobia by @BBCSport‘s commentator Paul Hand during the Tennis. Indefensible.
— (((JP Kesseler))) (@jpkesseler) August 9, 2016
Wow!! @BBCSport I think someone needs a word with Paul Hand. Why shouldn’t the camera have picked out two guys?!?! t.co/93k1Zgrx2G
— Gary Patrick Brown (@gpb1979) August 9, 2016
And this is what is wrong with some people in society. Sad. Paul Hand hang your head in shame t.co/Fk3sh31HmD
— Andy Bigh Hargreaves (@therealbig_h) August 9, 2016
Watch video of the “joke” below.
This year’s Olympic Games has a record number of out athletes, one of whom, Team Brazil’s Isadora Cerullo, got engaged to her girlfriend in Rio after her rugby match with Team Australia.
Related: Tom Daley Unwittingly Steals Spotlight From Equally Adept, Speedoed Daniel Goodfellow
Some of the athletes have been subjected to homophobic slurs from crowds, in particular members of the American women’s soccer team. Team USA includes several out lesbians. The head coach, Jill Ellis, is also a lesbian.
Colton Haynes On The Struggle Of Being A Gay Heartthrob, Infamous XY Photos
It would be easy to write Colton Haynes off as a pretty boy, an Instagay thirst trap, etc. But the truth is it’s damn hard to hate on someone who comes off as profoundly wounded as the former Aarow star does.
“If one more person tells me I have champagne problems I’m going to break the champagne bottle over their head,” Haynes tells Out’s R. Kurt Osenlund. In the magazine’s September cover story, the 28-year-old actor talks candidly about his well-publicized battle with anxiety, and all the other issues that have contributed to it.
Related: Watch Colton Haynes’ Butt Do A Jiggle For Team USA
Haynes opens up about that infamous XY cover shoot (“This was, like, the cover of Vogue for me. I was like, ‘This is it! I’m going to be in a magazine!’ I truly thought it was going to be this serious moment in my career.”) and his PR team’s efforts to scrub the photos from the Internet once his star began to rise (we were even threatened with legal action if we ran the photos). Haynes says he worried about how that was perceived by the LGBT community: “I looked like I was fucking gay-bashing,” he says. “Like I hated myself or I hated the gays, which was never the intention at all. I was just young and trying to make it in this town and doing what these people were telling me to do.”
He takes The Real O’Neals star Noah Galvin to task for his comments back in June criticizing the way Haynes came out, revealing that Galvin had initially expressed support. “When I came out, Noah tweeted, ‘Welcome to the family,’ and ‘So proud of you,’” he says. “Then, all of a sudden, I’m the worst, I’m a terrible person, and I’m a shame to the gay community.” His thoughts on Galvin’s public mae culpa? “I think anyone in their right mind would call bullshit on that.”
Related: Colton Haynes Publicly Responds To Being Called “The Worst” By Noah Galvin
But the story isn’t all celebrity in-fighting and gay-on-gay shade. It gets kind of dark. Haynes claims that a former manager dropped him for being gay and suggested prostitution as a viable career alternative. He opens up about the trauma of high school bullying after he came out to a classmate at 14, which led to a troubled adolescence of drug experimentation and running away from home.
And then there’s his father’s suicide: “I was told that my dad killed himself because he found out I was gay.”
Here’s hoping Haynes gets a big hug from one of his three celebrity crushes—John Cena, Idris Elba, Ryan Reynold—sometime soon!
Read the full story here.
Brazil’s First Gold Medalist in Rio Overcame Unimaginable Hardship With Help from Longtime Girlfriend
Rafaela Silva, the first (and so far only) medalist to give host Brazil a gold medal, had a very tough road leading up to her recent Olympic glory.
On Monday, Silva was nearly flawless while competing in the women’s 57kg (125.5 lbs) Olympic tournament. She won all five of her matches without giving up a single score to earn Brazil’s first gold medal of these Games. She defeated Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia, the world’s No. 1 ranked fighter in the weight class.
She became an instant national hero and a figure who’s now adored by millions of Brazilian fans who were finally able to hear their national anthem played during a national ceremony.
But how things change, when you are on top.
Four years ago in London, Silva was a medal hope for Brazil but got disqualified after performing an illegal hold on a preliminary round during a fight with Hedvig Karakas of Hungary. She then became the target of vicious, racially-charged attacks on social media. She fell into a deep state of depression and considered leaving the sport.
During a conference Monday, she remembered those dark days: “People told me: ‘The place for you is as a monkey in a cage.’ But my place is in sports, in judo.”
It was tough. But thankfully, there was love.
For the last three years, the 24-year old sergeant in the Brazilian Marine has counted on girlfriend Thamara Cezar for love and emotional support. Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported Wednesday that Cezar manages everything in the life of the gold medal-winner, so that the only thing Silva needs to worry about is to train and to win.
Cezar takes care of their three dogs (whom they call their “children”), she works as Silva’s PR person, talking to the press and managing Silva’s social media accounts, and she does everything in the apartment they share in Rio.
She can’t cook and she’s also very messy, Cezar told O Globo. Silva didn’t deny it: “I’m not good at doing anything, really. I can only fight,” she said.
Silva grew up in the Cidade de Deus favela, one of Rio’s most dangerous neighborhoods, made famous by the 2002 film City of God (which was directed by Fernando Meirelles, one of the three creative directors for the Rio 2016 opening ceremony.)
Speaking to Brazilian news channel Sportv after her win, Silva couldn’t even speak for a few seconds, trying to fight off her tears: “They said judo wasn’t for me, and that I was a shame to my family.”
Well, how sweet it must feel to prove everybody wrong!
“When you are next to somebody, and even without saying anything she makes you feel good.”
Top photo credit: Rafaela Silva / Instagram
The post Brazil’s First Gold Medalist in Rio Overcame Unimaginable Hardship With Help from Longtime Girlfriend appeared first on Towleroad.
Belize Supreme Court Strikes Down Last Remaining Gay Sex Ban in Central America
Belize’s Supreme Court has struck down the nation’s gay sex ban, bringing to an end anti-gay law that was a holdover from the British colonial era.
The ban was reportedly the last such anti-gay law in Central America.
News of the ruling first broke on Twitter.
We won on all counts. Speechless. Omg. Speechless
— UniBAM Belize (@UNIBAMSupport) August 10, 2016
#Belize: Chief Justice rules in favor of Caleb Orozco 📸 #LoveFM #Belice #Biz #LGBT pic.twitter.com/GysCYu6zid
— Mardo A. L. Urbina (@MALUrbina) August 10, 2016
Belize: Claimant Caleb Orozco celebrates as Supreme Court kills last remaining gay ban in Central America… t.co/n15c4HMv0W
— Andrés Duque (@Blabbeando) August 10, 2016
News just in from Belize: court rules anti-gay criminal laws unconstitutional. A major victory for human rights! pic.twitter.com/4yIQfCQffQ
— Téa Braun (@TeaBraun) August 10, 2016
Proud of advocates & the Supreme Court in #Belize, striking down so-called “sodomy” law #HumanRights @freedomtomarry t.co/VvkckqbrFL
— Evan Wolfson (@evanwolfson) August 10, 2016
Background on the case which challenged ban via Human Dignity Trust:
“Belize’s Criminal Code (Section 53) criminalises “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” which includes consensual sexual conduct between adult males in private. The law, which though rarely used carries a ten-year prison sentence, disproportionately impacts on the lives of gay men. Caleb Orozco, a Belizean gay man and a prominent human rights defender, launched a challenge to Section 53 in the Supreme Court of Belize. The case was heard in May 2013 and judgment was reserved by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. …
The criminalisation of consensual male homosexual conduct is a legacy of British colonial rule. A total of 77 jurisdictions around the world still make same-sex intimacy a crime. Of these countries, 39 are within the Commonwealth and this includes all-but-one (the Bahamas) of the countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean. […]
Mr Orozco, supported by the Human Rights Interested Parties, seeks a declaration that s. 53 violates the Constitution to the extent it criminalises consensual adult conduct in private. He requests the Court to “read down” s. 53 so as not to apply to such conduct. The section would remain in force to cover non-consensual sex with a male or sex with an animal, since neither of these is currently covered under other provisions of the Criminal Code.”
The post Belize Supreme Court Strikes Down Last Remaining Gay Sex Ban in Central America appeared first on Towleroad.
Hillary Clinton Disavows Support of Orlando Shooter’s Father
Hillary Clinton late on Tuesday officially disavowed the support of Seddique Mateen, the father of Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, who showed up to one of her rallies near Orlando and was spotted by news media and later interviewed.
Earlier in the day, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called on Clinton to denounce his presence at the campaign stop. “She did not disavow,” Trump told Fox News’s Sean Hannity. “If that were me, this would be a headline all over the world about Trump. But she did not, as I understand it, disavow this man. He’s got some pretty harsh views.”
Clinton’s campaign representative responded hours later, saying, “She disagrees with his views and disavows his support.”
Mateen told news media that he wished his son “had joined the Army and fought ISIS. That would be much better” [than taking the lives of 49 innocent people].
Added Mateen: “Hillary Clinton is good for United States versus Donald Trump, who has no solutions.”
The post Hillary Clinton Disavows Support of Orlando Shooter’s Father appeared first on Towleroad.
Belize’s Highest Court Decriminalizes Same-Sex Activity
Today, the highest court in Belize, a country in Central America issued a verdict that found the law criminalizing male same-sex sexual activity to be unconstitutional and ordered the law to be amended, a much-anticipated move hailed by HRC.
“This is a momentous victory for Belize, and I congratulate the LGBTQ advocates of Belize, as well as the countless legal experts and supporters who fought for this win,” said Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global. “While Belize is the third country to decriminalize same-sex intimate relationships this year, advocates and attorneys from India to Kenya are diligently working on decriminalization efforts in the 72 countries where such laws remain.”
The decision, striking down Section 53 of the Belize criminal code, came as a result of the case Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General of Belize.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan raised a rainbow flag to commemorate LGBTQ Pride Month. 7 News Belize reported that it was the first time the symbol of LGBTQ equality was flown in the country. U.S. Ambassador to Belize Carlos Moreno said of the event, “LGBT rights are human rights, human rights are LGBT rights, there is no distinction, and there is no difference.”
With this ruling, the number of countries that criminalize LGBTQ people drops to 72.
Belize is the third country to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity this year, joining Nauru, a small island state in the Pacific Ocean, and Seychelles, an island state in the Indian Ocean.
While gradual progress continues to be made, there have also been setbacks. India’s Supreme Court re-criminalized same-sex sexual acts in 2013, overturning a lower court’s 2009 ruling to decriminalize by “reading down” the notorious Section 377, which had been declared unconstitutional.
Belize’s decriminalization verdict follows the May release of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and Logo Entertainment’s historic report on global attitudes towards LGBTI people. The report found that 53 percent of respondents say that being LGBTI should not be a crime. This is the first survey showing that a majority of the world’s population supports the decriminalization of same-sex sexual activity.
www.hrc.org/blog/belizes-decriminalizes-same-sex-activity?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
ICYMI: In New Poll, Majority of North Carolinians Say HB2 is Harming the State
Today, the Human Rights Campaign released the following statement in response to a new poll released by Public Policy Polling showing an overwhelming 58 percent majority of North Carolinians believe that the discriminatory HB2 law is hurting their state’s economy and reputation. The survey also revealed that voters in the Tar Heel State reject the specious argument that HB2 has “made the state safer,” with only 29 percent agreeing with that statement.
And, by a 12-point margin, voters say North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s handling of the issue makes them less likely to vote for him. McCrory signed the measure into law.
“As this new poll reveals, there is no doubt that HB2 is inflicting very real harm on the people, reputation, and economy of North Carolina,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “Instead of doubling down on discrimination and undertaking a bizarre campaign to deflect blame for the fallout, Governor McCrory and state lawmakers should take responsibility and work to fix the mess they created. HB2 must be repealed before it causes even further damage.”
The full analysis from Public Policy Polling is below.
North Carolina Races Tight Across The Board
PPP’s newest North Carolina poll continues to find close races for all the major statewide office.
In the Governor’s race Roy Cooper has a slight advantage with 43% to 42% for Pat McCrory, and 4% for Libertarian Lon Cecil. Pat McCrory continues to be under water on his approval rating, now for 37 months running. 43% of voters give him good marks to 47% who disapprove. Opinions are pretty closely split three ways when it comes to Cooper with 36% of voters rating him favorably, 34% unfavorably, and 30% having no opinion either way.
HB2 continues to spell trouble for Pat McCrory. Only 30% of voters in the state support it to 43% who are opposed. By a 12 point margin voters say the way McCrory has handled the issue makes them less likely to vote for him- 43% less likely compared to only 31% who say it makes them more likely to support him. There’s a good chance that if not for HB2 McCrory would be favored for reelection at this point.
We continue to find 2 overwhelming sentiments when it comes to HB 2:
1) Voters overwhelmingly think it’s hurting the state. 58% say it’s hurting North Carolina to only 22% who think it’s helping. Specifically on the issue of the economy 58% say it’s hurting the state to just 8% who think it’s helping. When we last polled that question in June only 49% thought it was hurting the state’s economy so the high profile cancellation of the NBA All Star game may be helping to fuel those numbers. Even Republicans by a 24 point margin grant the impact HB2 is having on the state economy is more negative than positive. Additionally 55% of voters think HB2 is hurting North Carolina’s reputation nationally, while only 19% think it’s having a positive effect on the state.
2) Voters don’t think HB2 is actually having the impact it’s supposedly intended to have. Just 29% think it’s made North Carolina safer, to 50% who say it hasn’t made the state safer. A lot of the rhetoric around HB2 has focused on its helping make women safer but only 21% of them think it’s had that effect to 54% who say it has not.
The other key races for state offices in North Carolina all remain very competitive as well. Democrat Dan Blue III has 39% for State Treasurer to 37% for Republican Dale Folwell. Democrat Josh Stein has 39% for Attorney General to 38% for Republican Buck Newton. And the Lieutenant Governor’s race is dead even with incumbent Dan Forest and challenger Linda Coleman each at 37%. It’s the same story in the key State Supreme Court contest with incumbent Bob Edmunds and challenger Mike Morgan each coming in at 21%.
North Carolina’s Senate race is close as well. Richard Burr leads with 41% to 37% for Deborah Ross, and 5% for Libertarian Sean Haugh. The overarching themes of this race remain the same. Burr is not popular, with only 28% of voters approving of the job he’s doing to 39% who disapprove. But Ross is still pretty much unknown, with only 39% of voters having an opinion about her one way or another. Burr’s weak numbers make voters open to the possibility of replacing him, but they’ll have to learn more about Ross before they decide whether they think she’s a better alternative or not.
Ross has a number of issues to work with where Burr is very much at odds with the wishes of the American people. 78% of voters in the state supporting barring those on the Terror Watch list from buying a firearm, including 81% of Republicans, 78% of Democrats, and 73% of independents. 77% support background checks on all gun purchases, including 81% of Democrats, 75% of Republicans, and 71% of independents. North Carolinians even support an assault weapons ban by a 51/39 spread.
We also find by a 60/23 spread that North Carolinians would like to see the Senate move forward with Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court by holding hearings. There’s bipartisan agreement on that issue with Democrats (74/13), independents (55/24), and Republicans (43/36) all in agreement. Finally we find 71% of North Carolinians- including 86% of Democrats, 70% of independents, and 51% of Republicans- would support increasing the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour. Burr is well out of step with public opinion on all of these things.
Full results here.
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